Oil well pumping apparatus



Sept. 22, 1959 M. c. TURNER OIL WELL PUMPING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 25, 1954 AT TORNEY'S Sept. 22, 1959 M. c. TURNER OIL WELL PUMPING APPARATUS Filed oct. 25, 19:54

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIA,

AT TORNIEYS Sept. 22, 1959 M. c. TURNER OIL WELL PUMPING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet i5 INVENTOR.

M. C. TURNER A 7' TORNEVS United Sttes PatentiY() ,y

OIL .WELL PIUMP'ING APPARATUS Marshall C. Turner,` Bartlesville, Okla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporationjof-Delaware i .Application October 25, 19.54, Serial No. 464,495

7 Claims. (Cl. 103-179) This invention relates to improvements inY oil well production apparatus. A` specific aspectoffthe invention pertains to apparatus for separately producing oil and gas from the lower producing zone in a dual-zone well.

` In dualzone wells-wherein oil and gas are produced frorni 'each Aof two *separate zones without- `corriingl-ingfthe production from said zones, existing"=pack-off equipment necessary for fluid' segregation preventsgas-o`il separation when'a displacement pump is used. Of course gas `o`il`separ`ation is desirable `and advantageous.

An object of the invention isftol provide lnovelapparatus for separately flowing gas and oil frornfthe lower producing zone of a du`a1-zone` lwell. f Another-object` is to provide improved apparatus for simultaneously p-roducing both zones of' a dual-zone welliwith separation of gas and 'oil from the lower`producing zone; It-is also anobject Vof the invention toprovide an oilwell pumping installation which pumps from below apacker `and effects bottom hole separation" ofl oil andgas.-l Other objects of the invention will becoi'ne apparent from a consideration of' the accompanying disclosure.

The invention utilizes one tubing string extending to the lower producing zone for gas flow and a 4reciprocatling macaroniitubing string foroil ow to'an intermediate pointin the well from which point to theg-round surface a solid sucker rod is utilized to operate thereciprocating tubing section, At the point of juncture of the reciprocating macaroni tubing `section or hollow suckerrod with the solid sucker rod,'a` cage or spiderlor'similar device is utilizedin the connection between the solid fsuckerrod and the hollow "s'uckerrod so as topermit ilow of oil from the hollow sucker rod through the cage into `the tubing-sucker rod annulus from which inflows to the take-ott from the well head. A plunger-seal at the upper iend of the hollow sucker rod shuts olf the ilowof gas tothe tubing above the plunger-seal and perforations in the tubing in this area permit the gas to flow outwardly into either a concentric tubing extending tothe well head or through a small parallel tubing=stringiserving the Same purpose. Thisl auxiliary tubing for gas ilow is packed ott at the lower endto seal the tubing from the annulus between the casing and the tubing and thereby maintain separation of iluids flowing from the ppenand lower producing zones. i

` .The equipment with which the invention is' concerned 4provides a bottom hole pump in the liquid from the lwer producing zone, or in proximitythereto, connected with `a macaroni tubing string orl hollow sucker rod.

"The tubing -in the` area in which the pump is located isf'fperforated and the casing-tubing annulus isfblocked 1iott, thereby allowing entry of oil and gas into the annulus between the macaronitubing and the maintubing. The top of the pump plunger is equipped with a blind cage said perforations in the tubing, and the auxiliary tubing 2,905,099 Patented Sept. 22,; .1.959

extending to the wellhead.` The location ofthe plungerseal" is dependentupon the tensile strength fof thefsmall tubing or hollow sucker rod. `In -deepvwells hollow Sucker rod is Vof "insufcie'nt strength 'to peimit extension from the bottom hole pump to the well head `and it is therefore essential to restrict thel length of the hollow sucker rod section or string'to thatwhichwill not exceed the tensile strength of the sucker rod, and then complete the string vto the well headwith solid :suckertrodo'f sufiicient strength to support `the string; The plunger-seal may comprise a section of the upper endV of theho'llow sucker rod or an expanded section thereof and a'lseal between the same and the surrounding tubing which per mits movement of the plunger without allowing gas 'to continue up the tubing around the plunger. 1 l

More complete understanding otthe invention may be had from a consideration of the.` drawing of which Figures l and l-A are an elevation, partly in` section, of one embodiment of the apparatus ofthe invention broken at line a--a; Figures 2 and 2`A are an elevation, partly in section, of another` embodiment of the invention broken at line b-b; and Figure 3 isafsectional elevation ofl a section` yofthe apparatus in the area `oithe plunger-'seal-showing another embodimentv of the plunger-seal arrangement. All of` the views are schematic. 1 i l I if Referring to Figures 1 and l-A, 'a well ybore `having 'a casing string llcommunicates` with an upper producing z'one through` perforations 12 and witha lower producing Zone through perforations 13. A tubing string 14 extends from the well head 16 to `the area of the lower producing zone.` Within tubing .14, extending down' from the well head, is solid-sucker rod 17 which` connectszwith a hollow suckerrod 18 extending totheliquid in `the lower producing zone. Solid sucker. rod 17 is connected by cage 19 and plunger 21 to hollow sucker rod 182 A sealing means `25 is positioned in the` annulus virnmediately surrounding the plunger so as to-form a sealuwith tubing `14.` An auxiliaryV conduiti 23 extendsifrom'fthe well head to a position below'sealing means 25 and is packed oil` by means vof packer 24. Perforations 26 in tubingv 14 intermediate packer 24 and-sea1ing means` 25 provide for flow ofgas from tubing 14 into auxiliary tubing 23 and thence tol the surface. f f i l A packer 27 is positioned at a level intermediate the lower production Zone and theupper production zonefto separate-the'lluid'from the two zones' and provide aneuclosed annulus between the casing and thetubing for lilowing the oil and gas from-theupper producing zone to the surface. Perforations 28in tubing 14 below packer 27 provide a path for ilow of oil and gas into the tubingsucker rod annulus. l i

A` bottom hole pump 29 is attached to the lower end of hollow sucker; rod 18..` This pump maybe `any conventionall reciprocating bottom-hole pump connected to hollow sucker rod 18. `The pump` 29 comprises a barrel 31 having a plunger 32reciprocablethereinand attached'to rod 18. Threaded'to the lower endoi.A plunger 32 is ball valve assembly 33. A lower ball` valve assembly 34'is threaded into the lower endof `pump barrel 31. A ilexiblemember 36 is` attached to the lower Valve housing 34- by means of a skirt member 37. A holddown shoe 38is attached to the end of tubing 14 by means of collar 39. Springable holddown 36'cooperate`s `with holddown shoe 3S to hold pump 29 in position during pumping.` Pump 29 is positioned in the `wellso Lthat `at least its lower end is in the oil inthe bottom of the bore. i A p vProduction from the upper zone is; withdrawn from `conduit 41 leading from the casing below cap y42. Gas

from the lower zone is recovered via line 46 attaching to tubing 14 below cap 47. Pumping means, not shown, is connected with sucker rod 17 above the well head.

Figures 2 and 2-A show another arrangement of pumping equipment in accordance with the invention in which corresponding parts are correspondingly numbered to those of Figure 1. In this embodiment of the invention the plunger-seal comprises a standard pump barrel 2'2 attached at its ends to upper and lower tubing 14. A standard pump plunger 21 having an open cage 19 and a ball check valve 20 in the upper end connects at its lower end with macaroni tubing or hollow sucker rod 18. Solid sucker rod 17 attaches to plunger 21 by means ofy cage 19. Check valve 20 may be omitted without adversely alfecting the operation of the device.

Bottom hole pump 29 has bottom lock holddown 36 and holddown shoe 38 and grooved sealing ring 5t) traversed by groove 55 which provides a passageway for gas from the lower zone into the tubing-sucker rod annulus above sealing ring 50. Stinger 48 extends from the bottom of pump 29 downwardly into the liquid from the lower production zone, which is admitted tol gas :anchor 49 through perforations 28. Pump 29 may, of course, be positioned at a lower level such as below packer 27 as shown in Figure l-A.

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the auxiliary yconduit utilized to provide gas ow from the lower zone l after the gas reaches the proximity of plunger-seal 21-25. One or more openings 26 in conduit 14 are connected with a small conduit 51 by means of a ring connector or adapter 52.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the plunger seal Ain whiehgcorresponding parts are correspondingly numbered to those of the preceding figures. In this figure solid sucker rod 17 connects with a sucker rod coupling 56 which in turn connects with cage 19. Cage 19 is connected by a pull tube 57 to plunger 21, the lower end of which is attached direct-ly to macaroni tubing or sucker rod 18. Plunger 21 is reciprocable in barrel 22. A bushing S closes the lower end 0f barrel 22 and provides a bearing for the reciprocating macaroni tubing. An adapter 59 is attached to the upper end of barrel 22 and a seating body 61 is screwed into the adapter. cup-rings 63 provide a seal between the plunger assembly and seal coupling 64 which connects directly with Vadjacent upper and lower tubing sections of tubing 14.

A support collar 66 attached directly to seating body 61 has a anged collar which seats against seal coupling 64. A shoe 67 and O-rings 68 between seal coupling 64 and shoe 67 provide a bottom seal for auxiliary conduit or tubing 23.

Sucker rod coupling 56 may be omitted by utilizing a cage 19 which provides a female coupling for sucker rod 17.

Operation of the pumping equipment of the invention as shown in the drawing is obvious. The solid sucker rod 17, plunger 21, hollow sucker rod 18, and reciprocating means for the'same provide reciprocation of the bottom hole pump which is necessary to effect flow of oil from the lower production zone through the hollow sucker rod into the tubing-sucker rod annulus and thence to the well head. The gas which is naturally separated from the oil surrounding the pump body flows upwardly through the tubing-hollow-sucker-rod annulus to the perforations 26 in the tubing intermediate sealing means 22 and pack-off means 24 so that the gas produced in the lower zone is free to flow upwardly to the well head through auxiliary conduit 23` or 51 and to take-01T line 43, without comingling with the oil owing from lower production zone. Where desired and, as a matter of economy, parallel tubing 51 of considerably smaller size than auxiliary tubing 23 may be sealed to the ow tubing just below the perforations 26 so as to carry the gas to the well head (as shown in Figure 2).

Seating cups 62 and seating- Production from the upper zone is effected by any effective means through the casing-tubing annulus and production line 41 simultaneously or intermittently, as desired, with production from the lower zone.

Certain modications of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art and the illustrative details disclosed are not to be construed as imposing unnecessary limitations on the invention.

I claim:

1. In a well ybore communicating with two producing formations thru a string of casing attached to -a well head, the combination comprising a ow tubing extending from the liquid at the lower producing level to the well head; a bottom hole pump lwithin said tubing; a string of hollow sucker rod extending from the outlet of said pump to a locus above the upper producing zone; a packer intermediate said formations sealing oil? the annulus between said casing and said tubing; a solid sucker rod extending from adjacent the upper end of said hollow sucker rod to the well head; means connecting said solid sucker rod to said hollow sucker rod, said means having a passage for passing iluid from said hollow sucker rod to the annulus between said solid sucker rod and said tubing; sealing means between said connector means and said tubing sealing oft the annulus between said tubing and said rods; a gas conduit eX- tending from the well head to a locus intermediate said upper formation and said sealing means; conduit means for passing gas from the annulus between said tubing and said sucker rod below said sealing means` into said gas conduit; and means for passing gas from said lower formation into the annulus between said hollow sucker rod and said tubing.

2. The apparatus of claim l wherein said gas conduit surrounds said tubing, `and including a packer at the lower end of said gas conduit between said tubing and said gas conduit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas conduit comprises a parallel string.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means connecting said sucker rods comprises a cage.

5. The combination of claim 4 including a hollowr plunger connecting said cage with said hollow sucker rod and having sealing rings in its exterior surface slidably engaging the inner wall of said tubing as said sealing means.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means fo passing gas from said lower formation into the hollow sucker rod-tubing annulus comprises at least one conduit thru said tubing below said packer and above said pump.

7. The combination of claim l wherein said means for passing gas from said lower formation into the hollow sucker rod-tubing annulus comprises at least one conduit between said pump and the surrounding tubing bypassing said pump, said pump being above the liquid adjacent the lower formation and being provided with a stinger extending into said liquid.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

